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Letters Patent N 99,669, dated February 8, 1870.

'111e Schedule referred to in these Lettera Patent and making par: ofthe same f To all whom it may concern.-

l the frame of a sewing-machine, on the planeet' the line :z: x, tig. 2,disclosing a` side elevation ot' our inveutlon.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of our invention,

Vtaken on the plane ofthe line y y, fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detached end view ofthe brake-mechani'sm.

Figure 4 isa detached 'section of said brake-mechanism, taken on theplane ofthe line z z, tig. 2.

Similar-,letters refer to like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to an improved spring-power, particularlyapplicable for driving a sewing-xnachine`. i The treadle isiconueeted tothe wimling-mechanism by' means of a ratchet-wheel and spring-pawl, the

spring-pawl being so constructed 'and arranged that it will, when not in,actual use, immediately disengage itself' from the ratchet-wheel, andremain in a position to be engaged. therewith in the quickest imaginabletime, whereby the operation ot' winding up or renewing the driving-powercan be eii'ected by the foot at any moment, and with little or noexertion on the part'of the operator.

To such end, therefore, our invent-ion consists in' the combination,with the winding-gear'ot'a springpower, ot'a foot-lever, so arranged andoperating that the winding up or renewing ot" the power may be effectedquickly and easily, and without stopping or retarding the operation ot'the'sewing-machine or other mechanism which is being driven by ourimproved spring-power.

It also consists in the combination, with an actuat-` ing spring oi' agear or driving-wheel and a sha-it, 0i' a friction-strap', drum, andfoot-lever, whereby the speed ofthe gear or driving-wheel can beregulated as desired, or its revolution totally stopped by means of thefoot.

It also consists in the combination of a pawl, provided with a heeloperating as a stop, with a spring, whereby we produce a pawl or detentofa novel construction.

We have shown our spring-power as applied to the frame of asewing-machine, A designating such `fra-me,

A1, the driving-shaft 0I" the sewing-machine, and A, the cloth-platethereof.

' lhe main shaft b ot' the spring-power has its lbearings in the frameA, and upon this shaft a cog-wheel, c, is mounted, which cog-wheelserves to transmit the powerto the mechanism to be driven. We willhowevenremark that a belt-wheel may be substitutel fer the cog-wheel insome cases, as is obvious.

In the instance shown, a cog-wheel, c, carrying a .small cog wheel, o",is arranged on a shaft mounted in said frame A, the cog-wheel c2 meshingwith the cogwheel c, and the wheel cI with another cog-wheehc; on 'thedriving-shaft A ofthe sewing-machine.

The said spring and shaft is provided with the ordinary whaling-gear,consisting principally of' a ratchet-wheel, d, and click or pawl c, theshaft b being provided with a square end, so that the winding up ot' thespring canbe effected by means of a key or winch applied to such squareend, as will be clearly understood by reference to g. 2..

In operating a sewing-machine, for instance, by a i spring-power woundup by hand, as above stated, the

power ot' the spring may become exhausted at just such a time when it isinconvenient or impracticahle for the operator to leave the work to windup the spring. this ditliculty.

With the ratchetwheel d we have combined a treadle, B, and spring-pawlf, in suoli manner tha-tthe pressure of the foot-upon the treadle willturn the shaft b at any moment, andthe spring-power can thus be keptwound up in an operative condition as long as desired.

The pawl f is thrown towardl the ratchet-wheel cl by the action of aspring, g, bearing on its heel; and from said heel projects a stop, h,which prevents the pawl from being thrown towardthe ratchet-wheel anyfurther than necessary, or coming in cont-acttherewith when the treadleis released from pressure ot' the foot; and said stop h also preventsthe pawl being thrown in4 such position that it will fail to actproperly on the ratchet-wheel for turning the same.

0n the shaft b is mounted a drum, fi, which is subjected to the actionof a friction-strap or band, j. This strap embraces the drum, as shownin iig. 4, and it connects on'one side with a spring, L', and on theopposite side with a foot-lever, l. Itno power is applied to said leverl, the spring 7c, pulls the friction-strap up against the periphery ofthe drum, and the motion ofthe spring-power is checked.

By applying power to the lever I, the force ot the spring la can hebalanced and the strap brought in We provide a means for entirelyovercoming such position as to release the drum i, and the niotion ot'the spring-power is entirely unchecked. By applying still more power tothe level' l, the frictionstrap can be brought to bear on the drum z',with :i-ny desired force, and the motion of the spring-power can becheeked or entirely stopped.l a

lt'it is desired to retu'in the lever Z in any desired position, it isinode to catch in it notched bar, m, best Seen in iig. 3.

1n cases where it is desirable to bring the mechanism snddenlyut rest,we attach o. lng, n, to the lever l5 which, when pressure ofthe foot iswithdrawn from said lever I, will1 hy means of the spring k operating onthe strap, be drawn in an interdental space of the wheel c, and brinforthe mechanism suddenly at rest.

This spring-power, it will be seen, is admirably adapted for drivingsewing-machines or other small inaehines of a similarehznzicter, andthat by means ofthe trendle B, the operator is enabled to keep up theoperative-power without being obligedto take the hands from the workbeing operated npon, and the speed obtained from the spring-power` eauxhe controlled us desired, by theaction ofthe feet on the lever Z.

What we elniln :is our invention, and desire to se cure by LettersPatent; is

l. The tre-edle or toot-lever l, in combination with the winding-gearol' the spring-power, substantially as' described.

2. The lever l :ind spring k, in combination with the friction-strap j,drinn i, and spring-power, substantially us set forth.

3. The pawl f, provided with the stop. h, in combhmtion wit-h the springg, substantially as herein specitied.

A. C. HALLAM. JAMES W. MCKEE.

Witnesses: v l

M. M. Liv1NGsToN, T. B. BEEGHER'.

